The Santa Carla Sentinel
by Markolvr
Summary: A series of short stories that delve into the dark and twisted lives of the Lost Boys and all the people around them.
1. Rampant

**At the beginning of every week I've decided to try and write a short story to put up on my Lost Boys blog, whether it be a drabble or just small ramblings or whatever I can come up with and I've now decided to post them here as well. This I guess would officially be the first. However, I'm not going to spend much time editing these. They are more for practice and thought, but still…This one is a little bit dark and a little bit twisted. Something the boys decided to do with their free time I guess. LOL. And as always, reviews are loved.**

The girl was dragged down the stairs by her right arm and then tossed without care to the middle of the dirt floor in-between David's wheelchair and the fountain. She landed on one hip and tried to scurry away by digging into it with her fingers and crawling with her arms, but it did little in terms of putting distance between herself and the monster that had brought her there.

"Here we are sweets!" he announced. "Home sweet home! And I've got just the thing for you." The wild blond, bringer of death cackled manically before dancing over to one of the dusty couches to dig between the cushions and produce a plastic baggy of sorts. He held it up high in the palm of his right hand. "See! Just call me the mean green doobie machine." He skipped around something of a table and grabbed a few loose papers sitting on the fountain next to the rock box and proceeded to take a few of the loose leaves from the packet.

The girl still watched in horror, to terrified to move. Her own dark hair was a mess of knots from the countless times in that one night she had tried to escape and every time, he had gone for the hair. Her face as well was smeared in dirt, minus the tear streaks that ran down her face.

"Come on baby girl," the monster cooed. "I don't see why ya gotta make this such a big deal. I mean, I'm a nice guy…really, just got to do what the master wants ya know?" he laughed sarcastically at the word master as though he didn't mean it. "I'm telling ya, this stuff is guaranteed to ease those nerves." He gave her a wide-mouthed grin and then continued in his craft of making the perfect joint. Once it was done, he sat back on the fountain and held it up in admiration. "Oh ya!" he sang, producing a lighter. The newly wrapped ghanja went straight to his lips and was then lit.

The girl gulped, eyed her captor and once again made a mad dash towards the steep exit.

"Aww shit man, not again!" The joint nearly fell from his lips as he bounced off the ledge of his chosen seat to make chase.

This time however, another figure stopped her dead in her tracks. "Going somewhere princess?" This one was darker in complexion or so she thought until he stepped into the light, and he instilled a lot more fear in her than the wild and crazed pot fanatic resting on the fountain.

She instinctively put an arm out over her head in an effort to keep him from hurting her or pulling her hair, but instead he let her be and passed her by.

"Alright Paul, you better be sharing that weed man," another called down from the entrance. He intentionally hung himself from the top of the cave entrance with one hand and kicked with both legs before swinging himself into the cavern and landed with perfect ease at the foot of the stairs right next to the girl. He looked down at her with a coy smile and before moving on said, "Hello beautiful."

The girl didn't understand what was going on. For the past five nights she had been trapped there unable to leave after she had witnessed the violent murder of her two best friends, but for some reason they had let her live. Only now she was trapped as they wouldn't let her go.

Finally the fourth one she knew as David emerged from the opening. "Just how long are we going to have to play this game Daria?" he asked, stepping light and collected down the jagged stone stairs. "I think you know what we want."

The girl burst into tears again and hung her head, holding just her shoulders up at the foot of the last stair. "No, no I don't. I told you…I swear I won't tell anyone, just please, please, I want to go home."

David hunched down so that he was eye level with her. "Sweetheart, you are home. Hey, look at me." He offered her a hand up and she looked into his eyes, caught by the cold blue color that they were. A gentle mind lull worked its way into her brain and the sobbing stopped even as the tears kept streaming. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up then huh?" He helped her to her feet and walked her to the fountain close to where Paul sat, sharing his most beloved possession with his pack brothers.

"Paul, I thought I told you to keep little mis Daria here comfortable while we were out," David implied. "What happened?"

The vampire shrugged, his eyes half passive already from the smoke. "She doesn't like me man. I can't even explain it either. Every chic likes me."

Marko laughed and stole the joint from his fingers. "You're an asshole sometimes Paul. You ever stop to think that maybe she's not into rock & roll and getting high? Maybe you should recite her some poetry…that'll get her to spread those legs for ya."

"Boys enough." David was starting to lose his patients. "Marko, if you wouldn't mind fetching the wine…"

"Sure thing boss." He gave Paul back his doobie and wondered on over to where the greatest wine bottle of all time sat. "Now this is what she needs," he smiled, carefully picking it up with one hand.

"Dwayne help me," David ordered and instantly, the dark haired native was at his side. "Alright my dear, it's all or nothing. What do you say we just call it a night, you drink without a fight and everyone stays happy. Hmm, how bout it?"

The girl said nothing but watched as Dwayne edged around her backside and easily slipped both arms around her waist. Still under the influence of David's little mind trip, she agreed and backed into the smooth muscled chest of the vampire behind her, just as he tilted in to take a whiff of her. "For your protection," Dwayne insisted, as he took both of her hands in his.

Marko merrily handed the wine to David and stepped to the side, holding his hands behind his back. He always loved a good show and knew that as soon as David uncorked it, the girl would go crazy and start to fight like a wild boar.

Paul inhaled and sat back as he exhaled through puckered lips, letting the smoke waft through the air and embrace the five of them. "I say we just hold her down and pour it down her throat till she chokes on it. At least then it would be in her system and I won't have to babysit anymore."

Marko and Dwayne laughed.

"Well, you are the one who found her and brought her back to us, therefore, you are automatically the one nominated to be her watcher until she drinks," David told him, easily removing the plug that kept the blood inside the decorated glass nice and secure.

Before he even had to ask there was a cup at his side and Marko grinned as he handed it over, eager to proceed. David held both the bottle and the cup low and tilted it to let a few glugs of the red stuff flow freely until there was just enough, about one-third of a cup. No sense in wasting it. The offering was then lifted to the girls lips.

As if someone had snapped their fingers her eyes intensified and widened and the struggle began. She jerked her head from side to side, wiggling and squirming in the firm grip of the one who held her.

Marko laughed. "Hell her lips might as well be glued shut with the way she's holding them closed." He pointed at the way the perfect pink color that lips were naturally, on her had turned white. "Hey why don't we just drain her first and then feed her? or better yet…mouth to mouth."

"Are you willing to do that?" David asked, looking at his fledgling directly.

"Fuck no! I don't want to touch her lips. She already smells putrid just from refusing to clean up while she's been here. If I wanted to suck face with someone I'd run down to the Boardwalk."

"I've got an idea," Dwayne offered. "Let's move her to that old couch. I'll hold her down and Marko can sit on her legs. With her head tilted back, it should slide right down."

They all agreed and carried her kicking, yet still lip locked to the old musty couch and down she went. Marko climbed aboard and straddled her over the knees while Dwayne sat at her middle. Paul was the brave one and kneeled at the foot of the couch, ready to pry those pale white lips apart and once he had it, down went the fine wine known as vampire blood.

The girl gurgled and spit and choked, but finally they all heard her swallow and a big bravo echoed through the cave.

With the dirty task at hand fulfilled, the boys let her up. She scrambled around almost on all fours like a wild animal searching for some corner to hide in, but the change was already taking effect and her mind was flustered. She kept looking back at them like something in her longed now to be near them and yet at the same time, the exit called.

David extended a hand towards the way out. "You're free to go."

The girl stopped moving altogether and just stared at them like a deer caught in headlights.

"I mean it, you are free to go. However, here are the rules to your freedom. Either kill or be killed. You have three hours, and believe me sister, we will find you either way."

The girls breathing was heavy. She was definitely lost, the blood had made certain of that, but regardless she made haste up the stairs and vanished from their site. A big round of laughter came from the four boys. It was the same old dirty game every month. They would find a victim, kill his or her friends, turn them and then set them free. If said victim happened to make a first kill, they were inducted into the family. If not, the boys hunted them down and killed them. No one however, had ever made it.


	2. Kiss of Death

**This was actually this weeks story. I waited a week before posting the first and I figured if I waited again with this one it would be behind, yada yada. In this one Marko has become repulsed by romance stories written by fan girls, so he decides to take them out one by one. LOL. My little excursion into the darker world of their lives.**

Marko sat on top of one of the highest buildings in Santa Carla in his usual spot, content to stare out at the open and empty parking lot before him as he homed in on all the voices that could reach his fine tuned ears. It was a gift and yet a curse all at the same time as the boys' popularity had increased to numbers beyond his understanding. But that wasn't what bothered him the most in those quiet, off-season nights when humans were scarce. Hell he had the best seat in town for hunting right there, all he had to do was reach out and pick one of those voices in the dark calling his name. It was easy prey.

No, what bothered him was the magnitude of passion that came with those calls. These girls, and sometimes guys, were writing him into their stories in ways that no vampire should ever be, and with that came the secret, lustful wish that he would just up and appear before their eyes.

Sure it was easy game, but the resounding sound of the pathetic words put into his mouth on paper and on computer screens all over the world made the old and half digested blood in his gut threaten to come back up. It was part of the reason he had started hunting in this way. One fan girl after the other. No more mushy, sparkly romance written for this vampire.

Attraction to a human girl was not uncommon, but anything that lasted more than two weeks was a miracle and for obvious reasons. One being that humans by nature live by day and sleep by night. Two, it would almost be like having a love affair with your food; sure those oreos in the kitchen might have something of value, but no doubt eventually they would be dunked in milk and eaten alive. And three, well, he just couldn't resist tearing them apart once the heat of passion kicked in.

A quick alternative to all three reasons might have been to just turn said girl of interest, but more often than not the relationship would turn sour over time. But these fan girls were driving him mad with their needs.

After about an hour, one flicker of thought from a nearby human bounced through one ear and out the other and he knew he had a target. Shortly thereafter, he heard a soft flapping behind him that only could have been one of his brothers. The light landing and soft padding of footsteps gave Paul away instantly.

"What are you doing up here bro?" he asked, letting his hands rest lightly on his hips as he examined the barren area around them. "Scanning the globe for chics again?"

Paul wasn't into meditation to find fresh meat, instead he prefered a more direct approach and would often hop online to read some of the current fanfiction cycling through. If he found one of interest, he would simply log in and leave said author a private message, or rather, a private invite to dinner.

"You're one to talk Mr pen name of 'Don'FearTheReefer!'" Marko smarted, turning awkwardly to look up at his pack mate. "How many have you hunted that way?"

"Aw nah man, it's just a hobby. I don't take it as seriously as you do, Mr. romance flavor of the month." He cackled at his comeback and took a seat on the ledge next to his bro. "I can't help it if they adore my sex appeal, least they get it right most of the time."

Marko puckered his lips and gave him a quizzical look.

"Why you take it so personal man?" Paul asked, pulling a smoke from coat pocket. He lit it and offered it to his friend.

Marko wasn't in the mood, he had already found his flavor of the night, and she was waiting anxiously in what she thought was her safe little bedroom in front of her computer.

Paul retracted the offer and took a drag of it himself. "Besides," he continued, "Who the hell cares what they write? It almost makes it that much more fun when they discover what we're really all about."

He had a point, and come summertime when the Boardwalk flourished with out-of-towners, Marko would forget all about the girls and their painful crushes. Still…

"It's all about the game," he told him with a push to the other vampire's shoulder as he got up off the ledge, almost sending Paul straight over in the process.

"Oh hey fuck man! Watch it! I almost lost my smoke," Paul whined. "Well then, maybe you should wait and night and let your hair grow back out, then put on your old chaps and jacket before you go see this one." He laughed again. "Throw her for a real loop…least, that's what she'll be expecting."

If it was one thing Paul and the other boys' had discovered about living in this century was that almost anything went when it came to blending in, and on this night Marko had opted for short hair instead of the long curls that usually cascaded down his back. In replacement of the patchwork jacket he had put on one of his favorite South Park sweatshirts. The chaps were gone and a pair of blue Converse had replaced his ever wearing boots.

Marko gave him a wicked smile. "I like being original." And with that said, there was a quick rush of air and he was carried away by the wind into the night sky in search of his beloved meal.

The girl he hunted was not far from town this time, just inside Capitola and busy writing away on one of her stories about the Lost Boys. Marko debated as he landed with care just outside her window, how he would take this one. Would it be short and sweet and filled with gentle touches, or hard and fast so that she could hear her own bones crack against his weight? Time would tell.

He listened in on her thoughts for a moment as her fingers worked over time, pecking away at the keys of her laptop.

_'Angela shivered as Marko put a hand on her shoulder and leaned in to kiss her sweet mouth._

"_I would never hurt you,"' he told her. He had never felt so strongly for a human before. "And if Paul, Dwayne, and David lay a finger on you, I'll kill them."_

_The girl sighed. "Oh Marko, I want us to be together always."_

"_And we will be," he promised her.'_

Marko rolled his eyes. "You wish princess. Too bad you won't have the chance to amend your ways and write the truth after this night."

He swung himself around in order to hang, suspended from the gutter in a way that wouldn't rip it clean off the house and tapped once on the window.

As soon as he saw his fangirl look up in surprise, he let go and glided with ease to the grass below. The girl was so heavy in thought that he knew only one would suffice and soon enough, the front door of the house squeaked open.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

"Angela," Marko called out in a faint whisper. The sudden scent of fear wafted in his direction from the slight breeze causing the corners of his mouth to turn up into a sadistic smile. Slow and painful would be the demise of this one. She was short and full of curves from to many fudgesicles, with shoulder length, dark hair and a small button nose that the vampire wanted to rip straight from her face.

"What?" The girl looked around with caution, trying to squint past the porch light to see through into the shadows.

"Come here," Marko whispered again, trying to keep his laughter at bay.

"I'm not stupid, who is that? That you Josh? Well, you're not funny!"

"I would never hurt you, and if Paul, Dwayne and David try…I'll kill them," he continued to taunt.

"You asshole!" she fussed, holding her hands in fists at her sides. The long nightshirt she wore did nothing to prevent a cold chill from running down her spine. "I told you not to hack into my computer! Go home and leave me alone!"

She fumed silently for a moment with a deep frown on her face and then let her hands relax before turning to go back inside, but Marko had other plans.

"Hey Angela, you wanna come out and play?" he stepped out from behind the bushes, letting his eyes glaze over with that unforgettable red glow and gave her a toothy smile. "You know you want to."

The girl froze in her tracks and with tiny little steps turned to face him. The blood had gone from her face leaving it pale and white and the musty smell of urine was present in the spot where she stood, staring him down in disbelief.

"What's the matter?" he asked with a shrug of the shoulders as if it were all innocent. "You still want me…right?"

"You…don't…exist," she muttered, helpless and lost in the persuasion of his eyes.

The sinister laugh he let out made her jump back against the door of her house and he spotted her hands on the doorknob. "Come on babe," he pleaded, opening his arms to her as he let the rest of his face take change. "Isn't this what you want?"

"I want romance," she sobbed, unable to get the door open fast enough.

Marko was on her in a heartbeat, both arms around her in a tight embrace even as she tried to let out a scream for help. "We're not romantic," he breathed into her ear, biting down ever so slightly on the soft part of her earlobe.

"But you were human once," she implored. "You have to be, even if it's just a little. I know you!"

"Sorry babe, wrong answer, try again!" he pulled away from her ear and shoved her head to the side as he jerked forward and slammed his fangs down into the soft tissue of her neck. When the puncture wounds were definite, he lifted without drinking and watched her blood spill and run its course down onto her shirt.

A hand over her mouth kept the screams muted as he hauled her back off the porch and down across the yard while her legs reached out and kicked at nothing.

Once he was satisfied with their position behind the bushes, he forced her down on her knees before taking another sharp bite from the opposite side of her neck. Her hysterical sobbing came as no surprise as she slumped down in the grass, touching both sides where the blood seeped freely.

"I love you!" she proclaimed, half delusional.

Part of him almost did feel sorry for her. The new dramatic and heroic acts of vampires portrayed on film and tv these days sent false imagery to innocent eyes about what the monsters in the dark were all about. Still, he wasnt about to have his own testicles removed for the sake of misinformed fan girls, not to mention the fact that he was starving. Wasting all that blood would be a sin after all the effort and time he had put into finding her.

He sank down to his knees until he was eye level with her and let his face go back to its human visage before placing both hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him, her lips already losing that pale pink color of life and caught the innocent blue of his eyes.

"And I love you." The sweet tone of his voice caused her to sigh as she looked at him with longing. One fast sweep of her eyelashes to bat away the tears and he pulled her in, brutally crushing her collar-bone with both hands to better reach that sweet nectar of crimson red. And when he was done with what was left of her, he closed up any and all puncture wounds with a slip of his tongue and placed her in a chair on the front porch for all to see.

"One down, hundreds to go."


	3. I Would Give You Evening Light

**Written in drabble form, even though each one is not a complete story. I've never done this before and I wanted it to be a little like poetry. The boys in the beginning are thoughtforms brought to life by the mind of this girl.**

The night falls heavy on her mind, filled with restless anticipation and a hunger that's never satisfied. Her own doing no doubt. The creations of her mind now running wild, doing as they please, yet always with a promised return to torment and tease her soul. They feed her appetite but leave it empty in the morning light, yearning for more. The darkness is her ally, the sun her God and she is torn between the two. A heavy burden to carry, always devout, tainted by evil. She can see no malice in them, not now after all these years.

Always kind. Always gracious. Always protective. The gifts given in their birth. They hide the threatening side well. Given but an inch to breath and all would be revealed. It's temptation to free the beast. Let them show their true nature. Let them be free from this considerable mind. At what cost? She has no life to spare, but would give it all for one real glance. A life form tried and true. Drink of me, she says, and I will be yours, if only I could see you. The shadows dance, her will is thrown like countless times before.

One of respect emerges. The understanding seeps from his clasped hands. She sees him look upon her, a silver gleam in the blue of his eyes. Old friends. The faint sound of music far away. How long before they become that distant? He tilts his head. Silly girl, you should know better. Family, by blood or no. Even when I'm old? She wants to know. What will his answer be tonight? Her security comes with the death of another. For there is always a price for a love as dark as this. Yes David. He preaches like a trained scholar.

She doesn't care, rather, she likes his teachings. Was it a gift from her mind? Something she needed deep down. He smiles. There can be no doubt, for other things just as black roam through troubled minds. Her thoughts must be pure until the chain is broken. It is a fear filled road. One of great worth in her eyes given the many nights of blood filled passion. The wait has been long enough. The invitation is open and complete. Not just to him, but to his brothers as well. Energy sought to bring them forth will diminish her own.

To have and to hold. It was right from the start. Marko. He will be there to collect her in his arms when the time comes, monster or no. His appetite is growing. Her ideas see to that. The wicked side of him clawing to get out. David insists it will be ok. He has a plan. She can see the gadgets in his head twisting, turning, working it out. An eye for an eye. Be one of us, the time has come. It is a master plan. Blood of your blood, blood of my blood. His offer stands firm.

Will the world spin out of control? She wonders. What will happen to her family? Will there be hell on Earth? Will she go to hell? Who would have thought the power of the mind could be so fulfilling. She knows what she wants. No denying it now. I will bring you the sun and let you see it through my eyes, the way I have seen it, and I will give your evening light. She steps forward, wrist bare, her mind racing. It seeks the vampire, pushes it. Her heart drums against her chest, frightful of the beast there.

His eyes flash her with a dark fire, fangs peaking from concealed lips. Concentration on her part is vital. One slip and they'll both be gone. Her offer of flesh is imminent. Gloved hands slip into fixed positions, gripping the delicate hand and wrist, careful not to cause pain. Her eyes shut, even as she watches. The feel of cold lips finally gracing the small veins. Just a pinch, he promises, nothing more. A small blood donation to make the transformation complete. A prick of pain, a searing heat. No vivid dream could compare to this reality. At long last.

The time for thought is over. One large breath is all she is allowed before an icy wrist is pressed to her own mouth. The copper, metallic taste digs into her lips forcing a taste even before they are parted. Her body sings, feeling its power and her legs stagger. He holds her, a desperate urgency in the grasp. She feels it and latches on, suckling like a newborn. The heavy elixir deadens her heart and mentality. His blood runs in waves through her with each gulp. A constant throb of life and death. Finally she breaks the heavy connection.

His form stands proud as her eyes wonder, adjusting to the new life of darkness. Every sweet sound different from the other and yet troubling. Her psyche lock on him is no more. He is…they are of their own existence. A sudden warmth rolls over her in the cold night air. Something once long-lost and longed for is now forever hers. The creator has now become the created. It is a price well paid. Your prize, milady. David gestures, beckoning to the shadows with one extended limb. She watches with wild exhilaration, her heart quick regardless of new blood.

I've been waiting for you. His figure emerges, eyes of sea blue a glow even in the blackness. Behind him, his brothers. Paul. Dwayne. Their eyes are filled with welcome, hers flooded with tears of joy. Marko can hold off no more and they embrace. It is long past due from all the nights of shared desire from afar. The electricity between them causes the stars in the heavens to spark and crack. Mouth to mouth, lips to lips. She has found her calling. The pressure of giving them life no more. A new existence with love at her side.


	4. Push Mentality

**This is part two of Rampant. I know a few people wanted to know what happened to Daria after she was forcefully turned for kicks, so here you go. And this was an actual dream I had not to long ago that I thought fit Daria's scenario rather well, so I put her in my place. Aww how powerful the mind can be. :-)**

Months after Daria had been forced to drink vampire blood, she found herself trekking across the countryside outside the borders of California, all the while knowing that the monsters were still on her tail in one way or another. But somehow she had managed to resist the terrible cravings and urges that came with being a half. One of her rules to success in this was to avoid human contact as much as possible. So every now and then, she would sneak into a butchers shop after they had closed for the day, and gorge on whatever remained from a fresh kill. The animal blood was rancid, and stuck to her fingers and lips in its partially coagulated state, but nevertheless, it sustained her for a little while. Then the pain would come, gnawing and slashing at her gut like a wild animal. That's when she wished they would find her already and either welcome her into the family or do away with her. Regardless she kept moving from one town to the next, always traveling by night in shadows down sick alleyways that were often filled with garbage and rodents and smelled of urine. She was becoming quite the street rat and it showed. Her dark hair was a greasy mess of tangles that yearned for a brush, and her clothes were soiled and smeared in dirt and blood that had faded to a dark crusty brown. She had even decided to forgo her shoes and walk barefoot through the brittle cement streets. This made for faster movement from possible threats, but deep down, she longed for home. There was also an ache to be with her new brothers. It didn't matter how far she ran or how long she kept running from them, the connection they now had pulled at her being.

It was a link that often brought one or more of them into her dreams when she slept. For a long time it had been Paul trying to sweet talk her and coax her back to their shores, but after awhile he had given up and moved on. Then Marko came. He had become rather fond of her iron will. Never before, he said, had anyone led them on such a chase. He urged her to come back and join the pack, but the lingering fear that it was all a lie kept her on the move.

It was at that point in her travels, weak and weary, that she came across a midnight carnival where freaks and monsters alike appeared welcome. They had set up an outrageous stadium covered in the heavy white tent material most circus rings are made of and she watched with interest as people flooded into it by the thousands. No way, she thought to herself, could all of them fit, but still, they continued to filter through the heavy burlap flap of an opening. This piqued her curiosity and she tiptoed stealthily across the grass to follow the last person through the entrance. To her amazement, the grandstands inside spread across the entire length of the ring, making it appear much larger than it looked from the outside. It was the length of a football field at least and in the sharp little corner by the bleachers, she could see the crowd extending past the walls of the giant dome as though it were all an illusion. There were horses in the circle as well; big, sturdy drafts with flowing feathers on their feet as they paraded around and tilted their heads to show off the wavy red plumage that decorated the space inbetween their ears. But when the ringmaster appeared, Daria felt a cold chill embrace her and suddenly she was in the spotlight. She quickly realized that the man was no man, but a vampire, quite complex and very old in the scheme of things. She understood this right away by the way his presence loomed over everything and everyone, and he had picked up her scent. With the slightest of movements he spotted her, and his mind beckoned her out of the cramped little corner she had hid herself in.

It was powerful. It pulled her out like a puppet on strings and step by cautious step brought her out to the center. The lights burned her eyes as she squinted up at the stranger before her. His dark, bushy eyebrows knitted together forming a frown that shadowed his face with foreboding, even as he took a large step forward and leapt into the air. She watched with odd fascination as his body climbed the invisible rope higher and higher until as if by some strange magic, he held one of the horses mid air in his arms. The gallant steed reared, striking the air in anger. She could see the black feathers that adorned his fetlocks and the outline of the underside of his hooves before he was released and plummeted straight towards her. She was frozen in her stance, unable to tear her eyes away. But as the animal drew closer, she realized it was not a horse at all, but the man. He wore black velvet robes and dark furs, and his hair was long and black, covering the countenance of his face until he was so close, she could see his wicked smile. His brown eyes glistened in delight as his fangs descended and Daria felt compelled to except him. For whatever reason, she found herself tilting her head to welcome the bite she knew was coming. She felt his arms around her, and his kiss deep even as she instinctively shielded the small nook under her jaw in order to guide him to a place where she couldn't imagine her life's entire blood spewing out.

The bite itself was delicious, seductive and warm. It caused her to lose grip of reality as she tried to blink away the sleeping spell he drove into her mind. It was a dirty trick indeed and when she woke up, she found herself clean and dressed in the style of a modern day preppy schoolgirl. The mini skirt that hugged her hips was a navy blue, the blouse a perfect white, and all the tangles had been combed out of her hair. No longer did the gleaming circus of freaks fall before her. Instead, she found herself in another strange little town just outside a school in complete daylight. Only this school didn't consist of just one big building, it had many, petite in size and they were all the same color of off white. The place struck her as old-fashioned as well because the road leading in was nothing but dirt, as were all the paths inbetween that led to each classroom, and she could see some of its students lingering here and there. A group of three caught her eye and she knew right away that they were like her, only half. They carried books under their arms and mischievous smiles on their faces.

She didn't have much time to study them before a hand grabbed her from behind and pulled her with urgency inside one of the buildings.

"Quickly, quickly," the voice said, slamming the door shut, making sure to bolt each of the three locks.

There were two people in this particular room, both without the slightest trace of vampire on their blood and both elderly. Daria got the impression that they were teachers here in this bizarre little town and she watched as the woman huddled down next to one of the windows. They were opaque, created in a milky white color that gave the impression of plastic and it troubled her that she couldn't see through any of them. Each was designed to let the light of day in and keep whatever was lurking on the outside out.

"You don't want to be around when those three are about," the old man told her.

She didn't say anything, but hunkered down and backed away as the windows began to rattle. As she turned and slipped away from the ruckus, she found that the back of the room sloped a bit downwards and instead of ending in a wall, ran it's course straight through into a narrow hallway that seemed to slip underground. The darkness of it felt a lot more comforting than the sun up front causing crazy commotion and chaos for two senior teachers.

At the end of the hallway, she entered a large room with high vaulted ceilings and right in the middle sat a fireplace. To the right there was another hallway that contained many classrooms by the looks of it and to the left a gigantic lobby full of tables and chairs and comforting couches. The half vampires that lingered here seemed a bit more at peace than the ones above ground did, as they conversed with one another. A few looked in her direction, barely acknowledging her presence, but the question on Daria's mind remained the same. Why had the strange ringmaster brought her there? Or maybe she was dreaming again?

Her mind moved to get out of dodge, but her body simply wouldn't obey as she climbed aboard one of the plush leather couches, tucking her knees up and against her chest to huddle there. For once since the entire nightmare had begun she wished she were back in Santa Carla amongst the sinister rock and roll vampires that had so carelessly pushed her inbetween worlds. She closed her eyes and shoved her head between her knees as another bought of hunger struck her. Could it be possible that this place had a cafeteria with a vampire's diet in mind?

"I know what she needs," a familiar voice sounded from behind.

She looked up to see Marko enter the room with the other boys in tow right behind him, and oh how glad she was to see him even as the familiar fear of them crept into her body.

"I'll dangle it in front her," he was telling the others, "until her instincts take over and she can't resist any longer." He held a gloved hand out to her as she peaked up at him through her folded arms, and finally took it, slipping off the couch to stand for one second before he turned and led her down the hallway and into one of the classrooms. There were many boxes and empty shelves in this one. It wasn't much to look at, just one of those old abandoned storage rooms full of cobwebs and dust. There was one thing, however that set this room apart from the others.

Marko had used it to store the bait for her and there it was, the only bright thing in the room made of soft flesh and tissue, bones and blood; the torso of a man. Her new vampire mentor had taken the liberty of filleting the subjects back like some expensive steak so that she could smell him all the better, but the sight of it was brutal and her mouth watered even as her eyes were repulsed. The thick layer of flesh across the back had been stripped away so that she could see every fiber in the man's muscles and the outline of the bones that made up his ribcage. He was headless as well with no legs. Of course this wasn't going to count as her first kill, it didn't work that way, no, this was just an introductory lesson on how to eat right, one that she had been missing for too long.

Marko stepped forward and put a hard fist through one set of ribs, pulling a few off with ease. She could see the soft, fresh marrow on the inside of them as he offered the pair to her. "Think of them as potato chips," he smiled.

Why that made everything she was about to do better she had no idea, but the meal was hers and she dove in, ripping the meaty bones from his hands like a ravenous lioness. Her teeth cut right through the calcium rich density and oddly enough, she found the texture just like crunching down on a few potato chips. The marrow was custard and the blood rich, oh yes; this was the stuff dreams were made of. She would kill a dozen times over if it meant getting a treat such as this. She watched Marko from the corner of her eye as she feasted. He stood proud with a devilish smile on his face, hands clasped in satisfaction.

She stopped eating and looked around. There was no cluttered, filthy room surrounding her, just heavy rocks and boulders moistened by the onslaught of seawater deep somewhere within the cave. She could smell the salt and hear the waves crashing in all around them. It had been a dream, a mind illusion and a bizarre one at that, but it worked. Somewhere inbetween sleep and awake he had scooped her up in the night and taken her back. How clever.

"Welcome home Daria," he whispered.


End file.
